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Apple's online store is currently offline (as at 7.30am, Wednesday). When the Apple Store is down for maintenance that usually means new products are likely to be introduced.

Topping the list of potential new products is the MacBook Pro. There had been rumours that this new model of Apple's popular laptop would launch following the release of Intel's new Ivy Bridge chips. However, when those processors launched in April there was no sign of a new Mac.

The latest reports suggest that the .

Rumours about the new MacBook Pro include claims that new models will feature , a tapered design like the MacBook Air, no optical drive, and a power button on the keyboard in place of the eject button.